Moving surface game apparatus



Dec. 14, 1954 A. L. GRIFFIN MOVING SURFACE GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug.

l A I l I l I l I I I fihz. INVENTOR BY I I ATTORNEYS.

United States Pate MQVING SURFACE GAME APPARATUS Arthur L. Grifiin, Toledo, Ohio Application August 28, 1952, Serial No. 306,749

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-116) This invention relates to an amusement device in the the form of a game and embodies a game board and a movable game piece moved over the game board by manual manipulation on the part of one player to maneuver the game piece to a scoring position against opposition encountered as a result of the movement of the game board, caused by the opponent in an effort to guide the game piece away from such scoring position to prevent scoring by the player.

An important object of the invention is to provide a game board having openings formed therein, and a game piece movable thereover by tilting the game board, movable pegs being carried by the game piece adapted to drop into the opening of the game board over which the game piece is moved, by the tilting of the game board.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game board and game piece, constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the game piece.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the game board is indicated generally by the reference character 5 and as shown, is provided with an upstanding flange 6 arranged adjacent to the marginal edge of the game board, the flange providing a barrier against the game piece moving from the surface of the board during the playing of the game. Connected with the game board at each corner, is a chain 8, which chains are provided with rings 9 to permit the persons playing the game to securely hold the chains in manipulating the game board.

The game board is provided with scoring openings 10 and 11, the scoring opening 10 being disposed centrally of the game board, while the openings 11 are arranged adjacent to opposite corners of the game board, as clearly shown by Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The game piece 6 comprises a rectangular body formed preferably of sheet metal material with openings formed in opposite corners, in which openings are arranged bearing members 12, the bearing members 12 being of lengths to provide guide for the pins 13 that move through openings in the bearings.

These pins 13 are formed with heads 14 at the ends thereof, which heads are distinctively colored so that they may be identified as pins selected by the players in play ing the game, the heads having fiat surfaces to permit the pins to slide freely over the game board.

The game piece is also formed with sockets 15 with nodes 16 punched from the game piece at points adjacent to the sockets 15 at the opposite side of the game piece. The sockets 15 receive the balls 17, and the nodes 16 overlie portions of the balls to hold the balls in the sockets against displacement.

In playing the game the chains 8 at one side of the game board are held in the hand of one player, while the chains 8 at the opposite side of the board are held in the hands of the opponent. The game piece is now moved to a position in one corner of the game board where there is no opening.

One player will now attempt to manipulate the game board by raising and lowering or rocking the game board in an effort to move the game piece to a position wherein the pin 13 of the color selected by him as his pin, will fall opposite to the opening 10, permitting the pin to drop through the opening, scoring one point. The opponent will manipulate the chains which he is holding, in an eifort to prevent the movement of the game piece so that the pin of the color selected by his opponent will drop into the central opening. If the game piece is maneuvered to a position by the opponent so that the players pin will drop into an opening 11, one point must be sub tracted from the players score.

The number of points to be scored in winning a game may be of course, determined by the players.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a game, a game board having a playing surface formed with openings, a game piece embodying a body portion, ball bearings mounted in openings of the body portion providing a movable support for the game piece, said game piece having pin openings, vertically movable pins slidably mounted in said pin openings of the game piece, means for holding said pins within said pin openings, said pins having their lower ends resting on said playing surface norm-ally holding the pins elevated, and said pins being movable into the openings of the game board scoring points of the game as the game board is tilted by the players of the game, moving the game piece over said game surface.

2. In a game, a game board having a playing surface formed with openings, a game piece comprising a flat body having sockets formed therein, balls mounted in said sockets, said balls supporting said body spaced from the playing surface over which the body moves, said body having pin openings therein, vertical pins slidably mounted in said pin openings, heads on the ends of said pins, retaining said pins in said pin openings of the body, one of the respective ends of said pins normally resting on said game board, and said pins adapted to move by gravity into the game openings, as said game piece is moved thereover.

3. In a game, a game board having a playing surface formed with openings, a game piece embodying a body having sockets in which balls are mounted supporting said body in spaced relation with the game board and having pin openings therein, vertically sliding pins mounted on said game piece, heads on the ends of said pins normally holding the pins within said pin openings, one of said heads of each pin normally resting on the playing surface the opposite ends of said pins extending substantial distances above the game piece, said pins adapted to move into said openings of the said game board by gravity as said game board is tilted, thereby registering points of the game.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,130,461 Zolper Mar. 2, 1915 1,319,245 Raster Oct. 21, 1919 1,522,306 Lewis Jan. 6, 1925 

